


Something Different

by AnnieTyrell



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Justice League (2017)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 20:46:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13279566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieTyrell/pseuds/AnnieTyrell
Summary: Since Clark's resurrection he has been noticing some changes in Bruce's behavior. Or so he thinks, but hey, everything has been changing lately so, maybe Clark is changing too.





	Something Different

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy, just plain Superbat. Hope you enjoy it.  
> I'm not an English native speaker so feel free to correct!

The light bathed Clark's old room in the farm with tones of reds, oranges, pinks and yellows. All of them dancing beautifully, and the young kryptonian man couldn't help but stare at them smiling. It amazed him how something so simple could make him so strong, so different from the rest of the world.

The smile lingered on his face, burying the confusion back in his mind, caused by his last conversation with Bruce Wayne. The strange feeling had started a few months after his resurrection, but feeling wouldn't be the word. It was more of an acknowledgement, Clark thought as he remembered all the little things that he had noticed in Bruce since he came back.

Like in the battle against Steppenwolf, the little gapping in Batman's mouth and the tiny jump of his heart would have gone unnoticed to Clark if it hadn't been for the young speedster. "Oh my god, Mr. Super- wait..no- Superman.? Can I call you Clark..?" Barry started when they were resting on the Flying Fox back home. Of course, Clark didn't need it but, well..this was his new team. He needed at least to apologize for beating them up. He nodded with a fond smile to the young man in front if him, "Anyway, Supes-Clark that was SO amazing, I can't even find the words. I only had seen you on the Internet and watching you in action was like the best thing that happened to me since Bruce signed a batarang for me, and speaking about him. Did you see his face when you arrived? You could tell kilometers away that he missed you." The boy said so fast and happy that Diana laughed softly by his side, the Flash rapidly added, "Please don't tell him I said that" suddenly aware of the mistake.

Diana chuckled harder and patted at the younger hero in the back. "Let's see if we can find something to eat," she offered him smiling, and Clark knew it was hard for them to avoid smiling having someone like Barry around. Even Aquaman seemed amused, a grin plastered on his face while drinking whiskey and relaxing in a couch. "The kiddo is right, man. I mean, he was the one with the idea of bringing you back, well besides the walking Nintendo over there." He added letting his head fall back on the couch and pointing to the the front of the vehicle where Bruce and Victor were.

Clark didn't need to hear what he was saying, but got really curious because of the fondness that was displayed on the normally expressionless face of the Batman.

"You know, my son would have liked you," Bruce stated to the Victor. The young boy looked at him, "I didn't know you had a son," he replied while piloting the plane and looking at Bruce in the eye, almost staring. "I-...children" Bruce started to reply, but when nothing else came out of his mouth Cyborg searched in his eyes and suddenly softened his expression.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You remind me a little about him." Bruce told him, the grief painted every syllable "he had the same attitude as you, you know. He was so strong, but I still couldn't-" Clark suddenly stopped hearing, he felt like an intruder.

Moments later Bruce left the room, but he looked strangely at peace. Nodding to a resting Wonder Woman, a happily candy-bar-munching Flash and at an asleep Aquaman. Bruce half smiled at a surprised Superman as he went on his own, to one of the many hidden rooms in the plane.

Clark just couldn't stay still, his beating heart wouldn't let him live anymore if he didn't talk about something. The silence filled his ears, something that had never happened before.

He floated following Bruce faster than he intended, silently entering in the room. Clark's voice died in his throat as he saw a completely tired, broken and re-made man. Bruce was in the middle of the room, he breathed deeply, preparing to let the stress leave his body. The step that Bruce took at that moment was painful, like all of his nerves tensed strangulating his muscles as he started to take the armor off just to reveal bruised skin, and not just bruised but also cut, scarred, burned and beaten. It was like looking at a building crumbling down, Batman looked destroyed.

"Dear god, how are you standing?"escaped from Clark's mouth and obviously Bruce didn't flinch. He knew Clark was watching, he then lifted the cowl completely, showing his red and purple neck, the look on his face was uneasy and uncomfortable.

"Let's just say that I have the tendency to pick fights with people that are stronger than me." Bruce retorted back, taking a long sip of some clear liquid.

"Was that me? I'm sorr-" he started but the millionaire in his front interrupted  him.

"I am sorry, Clark." Bruce told him looking at his eyes directly, warm blue against hazel, "It's just like you said, I couldn't even let you die in peace. It is unfair and you have no idea of how sorry and ashamed I am" Bruce moved his hands in a soft manner of desperation, "... But this world needs you, and the risk I took saved it. I'd do it a million times, because you give the world hope. You're a symbol of a great future, something humanity may achieve if it chooses to believe in you." Bruce exhaled helplessly looking at his drink.

That was the first moment Clark felt that Batman was actually seeing him as he was, not was Superman the kryptonian hero, but as Clark the farm boy that was trying to do the right thing.

Another detail of Bruce's change was about the said farm. It was, if not odd, weird that he had recovered it from the bank, but when he confessed that he bought the entire bank, Clark couldn't hold a chuckle.

"And here I thought you didn't like me..." Clark said softly, making fun of Bruce. "It's like I said, I don't...-not like you," he answered almost confident about himself.

"Yeah, yeah. Arthur told me that you developed a little crush on me while I was gone," he mused while watching Bruce mutter quietly, "That traitor."

That same night, there was just the four of them: Ma, Lois, Bruce and him. And it felt nice, it was something he could get used to, maybe one day Bruce would also bring a girl (much to Alfred's pleasure), and maybe Bruce's kids could come soon and maybe the cold night that didn't affect him would stop being terrifying.

A low indignation sound made him come out of his trance. "I cannot believe you just said that, Master Bruce," said the butler on the other side of the screen of Bruce's phone. "It's the pure truth, Alf, this is the best apple pie I've ever tasted," Bruce answered smugly eating another piece loudly so the gentleman could hear him.

Ma laughed closing her eyes lightly and Clark found himself missing that laugh, she added then, "Oh, Mr. Alfred, he's just being sweet" "Believe me, Ma'am, I raised that man in front of you and even with all my efforts, being sweet is beyond Master Bruce's abilities," Alfred stated frowning and distaste.

"Hey!" Bruce defended himself, but quickly another voice at the manor interrupted.

"That's what you get for insulting Alf's apple pie, B," Dick said putting his head over Alfred's shoulder. "The only way to solve this problem is by a competition." Clark suggested abruptly and and suddenly Dick was gapping and breathing faster than before.

"B, don't tell me that's...-that's Superman..?" Dick murmured amazed. Clark was going to present himself when Alfred raised a hand in front himself, signaling to wait a second.

Immediately, the 18 year old looking boy ran rapidly to what seemed to be the living room. Then the old butler put a finger in his ear, waiting for the sound that came a few seconds later. "TIIIIIIIIIIIIM! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE CAVE AND COME TO SAY HI TO SUPERMAN!!" Dick yelled to the stairwell of the cave and Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as Lois and Ma laughed softly.

"As I told you ma'am. My boys seem to not have the concept of sweet or soft, and not by my lack of efforts in teaching them," Alfred retorted looking dead serious. And that exactly was different in Bruce, Clark noticed for the first time: Bruce was happy, it was the first time he had seen Bruce happy. And he dared to think that maybe everything was going to be OK.

Oh, boy how wrong he was.

Clark Kent was dead.

Superman was alive.

Daily Planet was banned option for Clark, even if he loved his job, his only escape had been the farm, because they didn't have neighbors that could recognize him.

Soon enough, Smallville became too small for a woman with the passion of Lois Lane and Clark could understand her, so he let her go. It had been one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life, mostly because he could hear her beating heart when he wanted, he could find her in the blink of and eye. But he knew she didn't want to be found, and soon enough he was only left with cornfields, a broken heart and Ma.

That is until certain billionaire showed up with an apple pie and two expectant boys behind him. "Hey, Clark!" He he greets him, leaving him startled as Ma runs from her room to receive them.

"I thought it would be a good idea, " she mutters even before leaving the house, knowing that Clark could hear her. He smiled and lifted himself up from the porch.

It really was a good idea, and it's nice just the five of them tasting the pies. Not letting Ma nor Alfred know the verdict added the kind of excitement in daily life activities that Clark missed due to his powers. And he finds himself looking at Bruce's sons, feeling how their energy lighted up the house and how maybe the nightmares will go away.

For Clark, Alfred's pie had something different, a certain taste he hasn't had before, maybe it was Nutmeg and that's why he chose it. There has been a lot of changes in his life lately, so why not?

"Master Timothy, I can't believe you betrayed me like that." Alfred said with an hint of amusement in his deadpan eyes. "Sorry, Alfie, B was right. This is the best pie I've ever eaten" Dick confessed almost ashamed and amused.

"I told you." Bruce stated ith a laugh. "If it's of any use, I like yours better, Mr. Alfred," Clark says biting another piece of the pie with pleasur

e. "Of course it's of use, Mr. Clark. You could whoop their buttocks any time, so I'll take it as a victory, even if I lack of votes." Alfred says turning to Ma in the screen as Bruce moves his phone for her to see him better.

"You see? Ma'am, these heathens are trying to bribe me into making more pies by attacking my pride" he mused and Clark can hear a muted, "how did he find out?" from Tim and a "He knows everything" from a frowning Bruce. He didnt expect to see Tim in the cornfields when the sun started to bury itself in the horizon, but there he was.

"Thank you," he said looking at Clark directly in the eye. "I know it must had been hard, but thanks."

"Why, kiddo?" He asks. "For not killing him, and for bringing him back too," the boy answers, takes a breath and starts talking again. "After Jason died, Batman started with the violent tendency. Not Dick, not even Alfred could stop him, then I got into the picture but not even with all of our efforts..." Tim's heart started to beat faster, panic rising in his throat, "Then he started to plan killing you, and I'm sorry for not trying to stop him, but what if I sabotaged his plans. What if I intervened in your favor and you ended up killing him? He always says the world doesn't need him, but... Dick, Alfred and I aren't the world. So thanks for that. And for bringing him back from that state of violence, somehow you gave him the hope I couldn't".

"You brought him back too," Clark answers putting a hand in the boy's shoulder. " He smiles a lot when you're there, and when he talks about you" Tim shakes his head in disagreement, but still smiling fondly while watching the the window of the kitchen. "Those are your fault," Tim states and leaves him stunned, almost being swallowed by the sea of corn and the shadows of the night.

 

Even with apocalypse in the front door months ago and parademons invading cities, crime didn't seem to have holidays. It was almost stupid how often he needed to postpone his farm duties to help someone.

This time, and helping this certain someone made him happy, just a little bit. Superman smiled as he landed softly right at Batman's side in the dead of the night. It was something simple: Robin had been investigating that laboratory for months. It belonged to LexCorps and of course they needed big guns to bust in since the investigation showed people with almost kryptonian-like abilities. That's why they needed the Big Blue, a nickname that Nightwing had chosen for Clark.

"What's the plan, B?" He asked, remembering how Tim had made fun of him for calling Bruce "B" just like them, but how could they blame him? They were undercover and it was shorter that Batman.

"My sensors didn't detect kryptonite. We get in, I get all of the information out of the computers, and then we get out." Bruce growled kneeling in the rooftop of the building.

"Why am I here, then?" Clark asked almost sarcastically.

"Moral support, Mr. Kent" Alfred talked in his ear with the same deadpan voice as always. "I'll even get cheerleaders if you tell me that after this I get pie as payment," answered with an amused voice.

Bruce huffed and launched himself expertly to the other rooftop, no alarms were triggered as he opened a window and entered. In a second, Superman was by his side with a relaxed stance. "You're actually here because the people that had been experimented with are fucking strong. It took the three of us to take him down, and Alfred even had to shoot the man a kryptonite bullet from the second floor," Tim said on the comm nonchalantly.

"What?" Clark whispered, following Batman in the dark room. "Baking apple pie isn't the only thing I'm good at, Superman." Alfred commented. Clark was going to laugh, if it hadn't been for the huge something that hit him in the face.

It was amazing, he thought, as his body went through the wall. Of course he wasn't hurt, he was mostly amused, but it immediately felt wrong because of Bruce's slow whisper, "Clark." Batman's pulse went faster, Clark could feel it almost like screaming in his ears, and for a sec he couldn't handle it. He needed to make Bruce stop, he just couldn't understand why he was noticing all these changes in Bruce. Why everything was suddenly different? Why did he even care about what Bruce was feeling? Why did he think that Bruce's racing pulse was because of him and not because he was in trouble?

The picture of Bruce's scarred skin made him fight the gravity faster that he intended. No more wounds for the Batman in Superman's watch. He would prefer no wounds at all, but knowing Bruce...that was impossible. He neutralized the man faster that he thought, the experiment's strength was no match for his sudden fury. Clark was kind of mad at himself. It was dumb not to notice the opponent just because he was distracted.

"I'm sorry," he quickly said to Bruce, who just plugged the device and gestured to get out if the building. Already outside in the cool wind of the night Clark dared to ask, "Shouldn't have we waited to get the device?" Bruce let a soft grunt, " The device was made to send the archives to the Batcomputer and then explode," the Dark Knight of Gotham answered. With his eyes fixated on the building, like he was trying to make it explode with his glare.

"Why did you let it hit you?" The question escaped Bruce's lips, and certainly it was Bruce's voice too. Not Batman's. The sound of concern in that simple question made Clark's heart swell. "I was distracted," he answered plainly. His voice decided to falter in that moment, so he found himself trying to explain everything. The truth in his chest moved faster than his thoughts, somehow it didn't matter if Bruce wasn't interested in him that way. But which was the way exactly? It didn't matter. Clark just needed to get everything out of his head.

"Bruce, I have to tell you something but you need to pay attention. Please don't say anything." Clark huffed and saw how Bruce turned the comms off and looked at him in the eye behind his cowl. "I know it must be hard for you, but you can trust me, Clark," he commented, but fell silent because of the look on Superman's face.

"Ok, B. I believe you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I had never seen a human with such a will power. You are a superhero, yet you have no super powers and, it's not an offense, because I hold so much respect for you. What I mean is that I could kill you and you wouldn't know it... and you still went against me because you thought it was the right thing to do. And when you realized that I was not what you thought, you changed. You saved Ma, you brought me back even risking your life because I could save the Earth, you fought against Steppenwolf. And you are just a human. I can't explain how amazing that is in my perspective, you know I'm invulnerable to most of things I could save someone effortlessly and you every night risk your life, a bad move or a lost bullet could do the job. And you endure it, I don't know if it's bravery or stupidity. That's just Batman, but look at Bruce Wayne. I'm a reporter, and let me tell you that I had never seen someone related to so many charity services, schools, free medical care institutions. You are, in essence, what a real powerful good person would be. You are just...amazing. Unreal." Clark told Bruce dead serious, and while Gotham's knight's heart speed up like a kryptonian horse, and Clark kept going. "I notice all those little things you do for me, and I'm afraid." In that moment Batman gulped, almost panicking.

"I am afraid, they might not mean what I think they do," Clark stopped to take a breath, almost realizing that the lump in his throat wasnt there anymore. "Receiving you in the farm the other day with the kids was great, and I'll admit that when Lois was still with me I thought that maybe someday you would bring someone with you and the kids. And maybe my children would play with yours. It was a nice dream until I realized that maybe...maybe I could be selfish, just for once and have you for me. Just you and I. Just Dick ,Tim, Ma, Alfred you and me."

At that exact moment, Superman achieved what 20 years of crime fighting couldn't: make Batman's heart stop.

"Clark, I-... " Bruce started breathlessly.

"I'm in love with you," Superman stated as a fact. Like it was written in stone, making Bruce's heart explode in joy. Bruce got closer, closing the gap between them with what would be the hint of a smile in his lips.

"I love you too," Bruce answered joining their foreheads together and brushing his lips over Clark's.

"To us, you're a god... what everyone would wish to be. You could destroy us with a finger and yet you decide that we're something worth fighting for. You protected us, and you still do, and even if you say that you don't get hurt....Clark, you died protecting us. And I love you, because you remind me what feeling human is, even if you're not one." Bruce murmured and brought their lips together while the building behind them exploded in flames.


End file.
